An angry email from a fired police officer caused a stir this week at the Murrieta Police Department and City Hall.

In a rambling, profanity-laced tirade, the 39-year-old officer railed against the management skills of his former bosses, claimed he was treated unfairly and aired several yearsâ worth of salacious police department gossip to a long list of recipients, including Murrieta City Council members.

âThis is not a manifesto,â Chad Bennett wrote. âThis is a man telling the truth and saying things I was not afforded the opportunity to do.â

Chief Mike Baray said that while the email contained no threats, the message was disturbing nonetheless.

âItâs a very aggressive letter,â he said.

Reached by phone, Bennett said he has nothing to lose by speaking out, now that his 13-year career in law enforcement is over.

âWhat I wanted was my voice to be heard,â he said.

Bennett signed the message with his real name, but the âFromâ line in the email identifies the sender as âJason Bourne,â Baray pointed out. Bourne, a fictional character who is the protagonist of a series of books and movies, is a trained assassin and rogue CIA agent who was wronged by his employer.

âItâs really unfortunate that he chose this way to communicate his opinions,â Baray said.

Baray said Bennett was hired in September 2005 and terminated Feb. 5. The chief said he could not discuss details of the administrative investigation that led to Bennettâs dismissal. But he said the five officers, including himself, who are the target of the majority of Bennettâs vitriol were the ones involved in his case.

He said Bennett was terminated only after a thorough and careful investigation. Asked about possible security measures in response to Bennett, Baray said he was barred from department grounds as is the case with any terminated employee.

Baray said the message â" particularly its references to depression and suicidal thoughts â" raises questions about Bennettâs emotional stability.

Bennett said he was arrested last year following an argument with his estranged wife in which he broke things at their Menifee home. He was not charged with a crime and Bennett said that he and his wife have since reconciled. The department launched an internal investigation and placed him on leave, ultimately accusing him of conduct unbecoming an officer, he said.

Though Bennett said he deserved to be penalized for his behavior, he doesnât think he should have been fired. He said he believes police department managers dealt with him harshly because he is known for speaking his mind.

Weeks after he was fired, Bennett said, he was arrested again. His girlfriend called the police after an argument, he said. The Riverside County Sheriffâs Department notified Murrieta police officials he âwas on the run,â he said. His former bossesâ reaction was another source of irritation for Bennett.

He was supposedly a âtrained killer on the looseâ and they were in âfear for their lives,â Bennet wrote in his email.

âThey got their panties in a bunch because of the Dorner incident,â Bennett said, referring to Christopher Dorner, the ex-Los Angeles police officer turned cop killer.

Baray sent his staff a short email in response to Bennettâs rant.

âIt is my belief the employees and volunteers of the Murrieta Police Department are second to none and are exemplary in work performance and character,â Baray wrote.

Aaron Harwick, president of the Murrieta Police Officersâ Association, declined to comment on the letter.

Follow Sarah Burge on Twitter @sarahkburge or online at blog.pe.com/crime-blotter

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